Between red and black
by Finitette
Summary: After a brief confrontation between Terezi and Gamzee, Tavros and Terezi become moirails, which is all fine until Gamzee, Terezi's kismesis, expresses his red feelings for Tavros, and Tavros realizes that he feels the same way. Rated M for language and some smut later on. Please comment, I appreciate positive feedback and constructive criticism!
1. Confrontation

Part I

Tavros Nitram yawned and stretched, wiping the last of the supor from his eyes. He had never been much of a morning person, but lately that had changed. Since he had run out on Vriska in the desert three months ago, the young troll's outlook on life had changed drastically for the better. He was happier, and more carefree. Sometimes he wondered about his abandoned matesprite, but... Well, he had done the right thing, hadn't he? She was manipulative and cruel. Maybe she had helped Tavros grow stronger in some ways, but really, their relationship was black. He despised her, and she saw him as a worthless weakling; someone to torment for her own amusement. It wasn't healthy for them to be together the way they had been. There would never be anything red between Tavros and Vriska again.

Tavros had returned to Alternia. He enjoyed it here, despite the fact that the neighborhood that contained his hive was practically deserted. It didn't have the same life and business that it had before Tavros and his peers had begun their session, seeing as many of the young people who lived there were now on other planets or dead (or in some cases both). Tavros still traveled a lot, visiting his friends and his dancesor Rufioh. At first the older dead troll had treated his relative as a troublesome brat, but eventually they had started to get along, and Rufioh had taken tavros under his wing (literally). Tavros was inspired by the older troll. He was a lot more confident, and had a sort of charisma about him. He tried his best to imitate it, but wasn't sure how successful he was. He stopped telling himself and others that he was confident. That certainly didn't work. But Tavros was okay with being shy and cautious. After all, in the past, taking risks had only gotten him into trouble.

Having gotten dressed, eaten, and ready to go, Tavos headed out from his hive. He didn't have any specific plans, but it was a beautiful day out. He wandered through the neighborhood that was populated mostly by lowbloods, weaving around lawnrings of friends and peers and trolls that he had never met before. Tavros drifted aimlessly until he saw a familiar set of horns and red glasses.

"hEY tEREZI," Tavors smiled at his friend. "wHAT ARE YOU UP TO?" He liked Terezi, and had always been grateful for her efforts to solve his murder and bring the guilty party to justice. Though in the end, that justice had never come. Not that Tavros really minded. He didn't want Terezi to do anything that would send Vriska after him again. "NOT MUCH T4VROS! 1 W4S 4CTUALLY JUST H34D1NG B4CK TO MY H1VE... HOW 4BOUT YOU?

"i, uH, wASN'T REALLY DOING ANYTHING, jUST, uH, wANDERING. sO, uH, sEEING AS YOU, wEREN'T DOING ANYTHING EITHER, uM, mAYBE WE COULD, uH, hANG OUT FOR A WHILE?

"OH Y34H! L3T'S K1CK 1T! DO YOU W4NN4 H3AD TO MY H1VE OR YOURS?"

"wELL, uH, wE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO MY HIVE, bUT, uH, iT'S SORTA MESSY RIGHT NOW," Tavros mumbled to the other Troll though he doubted that she would really care that much.

"W3LL 1'M NOT 3X4CTLY 4 N34TFR34K, SO 1 DON'T M1ND. OH! 4CTU4LLY TH3R3 W4S SOM3TH1 1 W4NT3D TO SHOW YOU. LOOK AT TH1S N34T TR1CK MY D4NC3STOR SHOW3D M3!" Terezi said, as she placed the falldown slat she carried on the ground, doing a sort of modified grind

"oH, sWEET," Tavros complimented her. He wanted to ask Terezi how she was doing, because he was concerned for his friend, but also because he was anxious to know about Gamzee. Though it was a stretch, Terezi was the person he figured was most likely to have news of him, seeing as he was her kismesis. But that being the case, Gamzee would be a touchy subject. He spoke anyways, but didn't bring up Gamzee yet.

"sO, uH, iT'S BEEN, uH, A WHILE SINCE WE LAST TALKED, hOW HAVE YOU BEEN," He began in a roundabout way. And it wasn't like he wasn't genuinely interested-and concerned- for his friend.

"OH YOU KNOW, FIN3... MUCH B3TT3R NOW TH4T TH1NGS H4VE C4LMED DOWN 4 B1T, BUT 1T'S PR3TTY BOR1NG H3R3 NOW!"

"yEAH, i AGREE." Tavros said, calming down a little. He was put at ease by Terezi's carefree manner. He giggled at the fact that she was bored now. His experiences over the past year had been plenty exciting, but he definitely preferred boredom to begin murdered and kissed and beat up all the time. And it was good to have an escape from Vriska. Looking back, sometimes he couldn't believe that he had actually had the guts to just get up and leave. And yet here he was. "hAVE YOU BEEN TALKING TO dAVE MUCH, wASN'T, tHERE SOMETHING GOING ON BETWEEN YOU TWO," Tavros asked, barely trying to hide his dislike for Strider in his voice. It made him a little annoyed that Terezi was so clearly head-over-heels for that guy. But it was her decision, of course.

"NOT R34LLY, 1 M34N... 1'M PR3TTY SUR3 H3 H4S SOM3TH1NG GO1NG W1TH TH4T J4DE CH1CK 4NYW4YS" Tezeri murmured, blushing a light teal and trying to hide her disappointment about that fact. Tavros flinched at the name of the human he once had a pretty strong flushed crush on, but Terezi didn't notice.

"wELL WHO NEEDS THE- uH, HIM," Tavros cried, speaking to himself as much as his friend. She pulled him in for a hug, which is a surprise because Terezi wasn't the huggiest troll.

Tavros and Terezi got up and headed in the direction of Tavros' hive. There was a silence between them, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. The carefree pair walked together, taking in the scenery. Alternia was beautiful in this area, with the pink petals of the trees overhead gently floating down around them.

"WH4T 4BOUT YOU, T4VROS?" Terezi asked. Tavros wasn't sure, but it seemed like there might have been a hint of concern in her voice.

Tavros shrugged. "nOT MUCH, lIKE YOU SAID, iT'S BEEN BORING HERE," He sighed, running a hand through his shaggy mohawk, which he had decided to grow out and style a little different after meeting Rufioh. Not completely like Rufioh's hair but you could see where his inspiration came from. "i'VE HARDLY SEEN ANYONE SINCE I RETURNED TO MY HIVE, jUST YOU TODAY AND, nEPETA BRIEFLY,"

"1T'S ODD, 1 H4V3N'T S33N MUCH OF 4NYONE L4T3LY 31THER. 3V3RYON3 S33MS TO B3 K33PING TO TH31RS3LV3S. 1 DID SORT OF H4VE 4 RUN 1N W1TH G4MZEE R3C3NTLY THOUGH." Terezi replied, the disgust for her kismesis evident in her tone.

Tavros went rigid, not expecting the name of his former friend to affect him in that way. He knew that he was angry with Gamzee for running around and acting all crazy when everyone had already been panicked. But he hadn't expected to be afraid of him. Yet a wave of panic had washed over him as he thought of his friend. But it wasn't like Tavros was afraid _of _Gamzee_._ So why was he suddenly freaking out?

"H3Y, SORRY 4BOUT TH4T T4VROS, 1 KNOW TH4T G4MZ33 1S 4 TOUCHY SUBJ3CT FOR YOU... 1 SHOULDN'T H4VE BROUGHT H1M UP." Terezi muttered apologetically. Tavros immediately felt bad, though he hadn't really done anything wrong.

"nO, i KNOW THAT IT'S, a TOUGH SUBJECT FOR YOU, aS WELL, bUT, i WANTED TO KNOW, i GUESS." His eyes met Terezi's and they both nodded, almost smiling at their newfound understanding for one another. In a way, she was the only troll Tavros could talk to about Gamzee, because she was the only one who felt as strongly about Gamzee as he did. Well, maybe a little stronger. After all, there was no quadrant for being scared out of your wits for one of your former best friends. "dO, uM, yOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?" Tavros asked, doubting their was any comfort he could offer her, but still wanting to try.

"Y3S... NO... M4YBE." Terezi growled. "1 DON'T KNOW! UGH, 1 JUST H4T3 H1M SO MUCH. 4ND K4RK4T K33PS TRY1NG TO H3LP M3 ST4Y 4W4Y FROM H1M, BUT 1 KNOW TH4T HE DOS3N'T R34LLY W4NT TO. 1 M34N, 1T MUST B3 R34LLY H4RD FOR H1M, S1CE TH3Y US3D TO B3 P4L3 FOR 3ACH OTH3R AND 4LL. 4ND 1 DON'T W4NT TO HURT K4RK4T OR M4K3 4LL OF TH3 TROUBLE HE'S GON3 TO 4 W4ST3, BUT SOM3T1M3S 1 TH1NK, W3 H4V3 QU4DR4NTS FOR 4 R34SON, R1GHT? TH3 H4T3 1 F33L FOR H1M, 4ND TH3 1NT3NS1TY OF 1T, 1S ONLY N4TUR4L."

Tavros bit his lip, mentally stumbling for words. He had never been good at giving advice. But he did have experience with kismesisship.

"wELL, i SORT OF, cAN SEE BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT, i MEAN, yES, kISMESISSHIP IS A NATURAL THING FOR US, aND I DO THINK THAT BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS BLACK FEELINGS FOR SOMEONE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT, bUT, sPEAKING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I CAN DEF1N1TELY SAY, tHAT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO TAKE IT TOO FAR, aND THAT'S A VERY FINE LINE TO WALK. bUT IF YOU STOP BEING CONFRONTATIONAL OR AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS HIM, iT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE WOULD BACK OFF AS WELL, i MEAN, tHAT'S SORT OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH ME AND vRISKA,"

Terezi smiled. "Y34H I GU3SS TH4T M4K3S S3NS3, TH4NKS T4V!" Tavros nodded, happy to be of some help for once. He hadn't talked to Terezi much since their session started, but before that they had been pretty good friends. It was nice to get to hang out with her again.

Tavros and Terezi moved on to other, more cheerful topics and spent the day together, the teal blood often showing of tricks she had learned form Latula, Tavros making up ridiculous raps about their exploits. Tavros was a lot happier than he had been in a long time, and Terezi seemed to be enjoying herself as well.

"D4MN IT, NOT TH1S 4SSHOL3." Terezi muttered, pulling Tavros out of his reprieve. The troll boy looked up and to his horror, the face that had been in his nightmares for a whole sweep had appeared before him.

Gamzee walked right up to the pair, blatantly ignoring Terezi. "HEY THERE MOTHER FUCKER. how you been doing, Tavbro?"

"i, uH, i'VE BEEN, fINE, i GUESS. h-HOW, hAVE YOU BEEN DOING GAMZEE?" Tavros' heart was hammering against his chest. But why was he so nervous?

"oh, you know. I'VE BEEN DOING ALL MOTHERFUCKING RIGHT. whatcha up to?

'nOT MUCH, uH-" Tavros muttered, painfully aware that Terezi was glaring daggers at Gamzee and Gamzee was intentionally avoiding her gaze. He knew he'd better get Terezi out of here before things escalated. He would have to wait to talk to Gamzee. "aCTUALLY, tEREZI AND I HAVE TO GO," He said, grabbing Terezi's arm and taking a step back, dragging her with him.

Gamzee said nothing, just continued to glare Terezi, but after a moment they broke eye contact and Terezi turned, heading with Tavros in the direction of her hive.

Tavros hurried Terezi back to her hive, his heartrate still accelerated from the confrontation. He kept stealing glances at the female troll, but knew not to say anything until she had calmed down.

Tavros at Terezi spent the evening at Terezi's hive, chatting with her about whatever and amusing her with more silly raps. Gamzee wasn't mentioned again, and eventually Tavros drifted off to sleep, feeling happy and safe, the earlier incident feeling more like a distant dream than reality. For the first time in a long time, he was truly happy.


	2. Pale

Tavros woke up completely disoriented. He woke up in a small, colorful room that was certainly not part of his hive. His bleary eyes were shocked by the bright colors and he was completely confused as to where he was until he heard a soft suffling sound from beside him and rolled over to see Terezi laying in a pile of scalemates. That was right, he had ended up spending the night at Terezi's hive, too worn out after the overwhelming confrontation with Gamzee to return to his own hive.

Tavros looked outside and realized that, judging by the color of skaia, he had awoken rather early. Terezi probably wouldn't be awake for a while. Which was good, because there was something he needed to do before it was too late.

The lowblood hurried through his the mess of hives around him home, moving further and further from his own hive. He didn't encounter anyone as he went; at this hour everyone was still asleep. After walking a good while, and feeling the strain on the working set of legs that he still wasn't used to having, Tavros arrived at Gamzee's hive.

_'wHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE AGAIN,' _Tavros thought to himself, a familiar panic tightening in is chest. Tavros knew his basic reasoning, of course: he wanted to talk to Gamzee alone to see how he really felt about the situation. Because Gamzee didn't know that he and Terezi were pale for each other, but it would come out soon enough. After a moment, Tavros turned around to leave, heaving a heavy sigh as he did. He didn't have the guts to go through with it. "_aS USUAL, i'M JUST A COWARD," _He thought to himself. He turned to head back to his hive when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"honk honk motherfucker. YOU STALKING ME OR SOMETHING?"

Stalking. Wasn't that some human turn for obsessive unrequited red courting? Tavros' cheeks flushed a light brown. "n-NO, i, uM, jUST, wELL-" TAvros stammered before realizing that the best thing to do at this point would be to just tell the truth and get it over with. "i JUST FELT BAD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY, aND i WANTED TO APOLOGIZE,"

"aw naw Tabro you aint got nothing to be apologizin for. I'M THE ONE THAT OUGHTA ALL UP AND APOLOGIZE. i know it aint right to let a kismesiship with a motherfucker come between another mutcherfucker and his bro." Gamzee muttered the convoluted sentence with an apologetic smile on his face. "ARE YOU AND TEREZI ALL PALE FOR EACH OTHER NOW?"

Tavros bit his lip. Well, there was no use hiding it, he supposed. "yEAH, i UH, gUESS SO," He muttered, wondering how Gamzee would react to this bit of news.

"aw, well congratulations, motherfucker. I SUPPOSE THAT A CAUSE FOR TO BE BE ALL UP AND MOTHERFUCKIN GETIN YOUR CELEBRATE ON, HUH?" Gamzee asked, his expression a little resentful, but also genuinely pleased.

Tavros smiled and almost laughed out loud he was so relived.

"yEAH, i GUESS," Tavros agreed, though in light of recent events, celebration hadn't really been on his mind. "bY THE WAY, wHAT, uH, aRE YOU DOING TODAY? i HAVE UM, sOMETHING TO DO THIS MORNING BUT THAT WILL ONLY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE SO MAYBE WE COULD, mEET UP LATER ON?" Tavros asked, a little nervous. As a general rule, he was never the one who invited others to do things with him. He was too shy.

"sure thing motherfucker. YOU WANNA COME BY MY HIVE WHENEVER YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT BIG IMPORTANT THING YOU GOTTA DO?" Gamzee asked, his eyes lighting up and an exited smile appearing on his face when tavros asked if he wanted to hang out.

"yEAH, dEFINATELY." Tavros agreed, finding Gamzee's energy and excitement contagious, though the knot of fear in his stomach was still present. He wanted to stay and talk a little longer, but Terezi would probably be waking up soon, and he didn't want her to worry about where he had gone. "sO, uH, I GOTTA GO DO THAT uH, THING, nOW, bUT I'LL CATH YOU LATER," He said, turning to leave.

As Tavros turned around Gamzee grabbed him by the wrist. Tavros' cheeks flushed soft brown at the other troll's touch, but he faced Gamzee again only to be pulled into a tight embrace. Tavros' face grew even more flushed, but he wrapped his arms around Gamzee, trying not to feel uncomfortable when the hug lasted a bit longer than normal. "i'm so... MOTHERFUCKING SORRY... Tavbo!" Gamzee muttered before releasing Tavros and hurrying back into his hive.

Tavros blinked then heaved a heavy sigh, once again overwhelmed by the emotions swirling around his think pan. Why was Gamzee making such a big deal about yesterday? It hadn't been that bad, really. And then there was Terezi. Tavros had once had a bit of a pale crush on Gamzee, but nothing had ever really come of it. But that would happen now that he and Terezi were moirails?

Tavros returned to Terezi's hive completely distraught. What was he going to do about Gamzee? He needed time to think it over, to think about how he felt. He needed time to figure out what to do. Was he supposed to choose between Gamzee and Terezi?

Terezi could see that something was wrong the moment Tavros returned to her hive. His shoulders were slumped and he looked tired and sad. She walked up to Tavros and leaned in close to him so that their foreheads were touching.

"H3'S NO GOOD, T4VROS." She said, knowing that wasn't what he wanted to hear, but it needed to be said anyways. Maybe she was biased, but in this instance she didn't believe that she was wrong. "H3'S NOT A GOOD FR13ND FOR YOU TO H4V3." She clarified. "H3 C4N'T T4K3 4NYTH1NG S3RIOUSLY, NOT 3V3N H1S FR13NDS." Terezi was acting a little out of character; usually she was more mellow about this kind of thing. But that was part of why Tavros could tell that she was so serious about what she was saying.

Tavros nodded, tears brimming in his eyes. "wE SHOULD BOTH STAY AWAY FROM HIM AND, i'LL HELP YOU STAY AWAY. i THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT ABOUT HIM." He said, though he wished it wasn't true.

Tavros rested his head on Terezi's lap, not wanting to think about the decision he had just made or any of the events that happened recently with Gamzee or anything at all really. Eventually he drifted off to sleep, wishing that he would awake to find that the past two days had all just been a dream.

THE END of part I


	3. Reunion

Author's note: After re-reading a part of homestuck that I had initially been confused on, I made an edit to the first chapter. Thank you to those who continued to read despite my error. It's fixed now, and I think it's all accurate.

Part II

-Two sweeps later-

"tEREZI, i'M STUCK," Tavros complained, his voice slightly muddled as his head was covered by a baggy black sweatshirt that he was at that precise moment trying to force over his horns.

Terezi chuckled, rolling her eyes behind her glasses. "H3RE." She said, pulling it off and pulling the sweater over one of Tavros' horns, then stretching the collar a little so it would go over the other.

"tHANKS," Tavros said as he straightened his mohawk. He smiled, happy of the sweater. Tavros' enjoyed the mild weather of the Alternian countryside, but it got pretty windy and cold at times.

"NO PROBL3M. 4RE YOU SUR3 YOU'LL B3 OK4Y ON YOUR OWN TON1GHT?

"yEAH, i CAN TAKE CAN OF MYSELF," Tavros responded, trying not to sound hostile. "aND I HAVE TINKERBULL WITH ME, sO I'LL BE OKAY," He reassured her.

"W3LL, 1F YOU'R3 SUR3. I'LL S33 YOU TOMORROW." She promised, giving Tavros a quick peck on the cheek, flashing him a grin and disappearing out the entrance of his hive.

Tavros sighed, heading up the ramp that served little purpose now that he could walk, to where his recoupracoon was. He was ready to go to sleep, but before he could think about struggling into his recoupracoon, he was startled by a tap on his window.

Tavros had to squint in the growing darkness to see who it was, and when the face of his mysterious visitor became clear, he yelped and jumped back about six feet.

Tavros cautiously glanced back at the window, and when he did, there was no one there. Maybe he had just imagined Gamzee's face there. That had to be it. He sighed, heading back over to where his recoupracoon was.

This time it was a knock on the door that made Tavros jump. The troll shook his head and ignored it and heading back towards his recoupracoon. There was one more knock. Tavros sighed. _wHAT THE HELL AM I DOING, _He thought to himself as he walked to the door. _mAN, iT'S PROBABLY SOME STUPID PRANKSTER. i SO DO NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS RIGHT NOW,_ He wished Terezi were there. She would have some good way to deal with this.

Tavros threw open the door, not bothering to hide how tired and grumpy he was. When he saw who was standing on the other side though, his jaw dropped.

"gAMZEE, yOU-" Tavros began, trying to sound threatening, but it came out more startled and a little frightened, which he was at the moment.

"now hold up motherfucker. DON'T GO JUMPIN TO NO CONCLUSIONS HERE. we aint seen each other in a good long while, and i guess i can't blame you for staying away, but i gotta know for sure. DO YOU REALLY HATE ME TAVBRO? you all up an promised to come by my hive. BUT YOU NEVER SHOWED UP. i guess i shoulda taken that as a i sign. FUCK, I GUESS I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M EVEN ALL UP AND DOING HERE. and comin' to your hive in the dead of night like this- SORRY IF I SCARED YOU BRO."

Tavros bit his lip, making a spur-of-the-moment decision he felt he was almost definitely going to regret. "wOULD YOU, uH, lIKE TO COME IN," he offered. "i GUESS I WOULD SORT OF LIKE TO TALK TO YOU, aBOUT A LOT OF THINGS,"

Gamzee smiled, striding into Tavros' hive like he owned the place and headed straight to his respite block, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"sORRY IT'S SUCH A MESS IN HERE," Tavros apologized, standing awkwardly in the corner and avoiding eye contact with Gamzee.

"aw, naw bro. YOU KNOW I AINT FUSSY. it's nice and cozy." Gamzee replied with a smile. "COME OVER HERE AND SIT BY ME. i got all this stuff i wanna talk to you about. I AINT GONNA BITE YOU OR NOTHIN."

Tavros nodded, edging cautiously forward and sitting on the floor opposite the other troll. Gamzee wore his usual goofy smile and looked perfectly calm, as if their last meeting had never occurred.

After taking a deep breath, Tavros calmed down a little. "i NEVER HATED YOU, gAMZEE," He began earnestly. "i MEAN, yOU WERE ONE OF MY FIRST FRIENDS, aND ONE OF THE ONLY FRIENDS I HAD, aND, i NEVER STOPPED CONSIDERING YOU A FRIEND, i JUST, gOT WORRIED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR YOU AND TEREZI IF WE HUNG OUT,"

Gamzee nodded. "i understand, bro, and i aint out to cause any trouble between you and your moirail. I AINT HER BIGGEST FAN FOR SURE, AND I THINK SHE OUGHT TO LET YOU KICK IT WITH WHATEVER MOTHERFUCKER YOU FEEL LIKE-" His voice grew louder and angrier, but then he checked himself, taking a deep breath. "but i know i gotta be understanding of your friendship with her."

"uH, wELL ACTUALLY, tEREZI NEVER TOLD ME TO STAY AWAY FROM YOU," Tavros replied, but he regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. Gamzee stared at him, looking wounded and confused. "i MEAN, uH, i WASN'T MAD OR ANYTHING, uH, bUT, i DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS, bETWEEN YOU AND tEREZI," He added, scrambling for words. "yOU GUYS ARE BOTH MY FRIENDS, aND I DIDN'T WANT TO ESCALATE THINGS BETWEEN YOU TWO,"

Gamzee's eyes narrowed, and for a moment Tavros thought that he didn't believe him, but then he laughed. "YOU'RE A GOOD GUY, TAVBRO. a motherfucker that cares a lot about his friends. I DON'T REALLY SEE WHY YOU WORRY ABOUT THIS SHIT BETWEEN ME AND TEREZI."

"bECAUSE I DO CARE ABOUT YOU GUYS," Tavros said, his voice sharp. He was a little irritated with Gamzee for saying that. Was he insinuating that he didn't care? Or that he shouldn't? But then Gamzee laughed, and Tavros' irritation disappeared.

Gamzee scooted in closer to Tavros, resting his head on his shoulder. "shit, tavbro, i didn't mean to go all implying that you shouldn't care. I APPPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO HELP A MOTHERFUCKER OUT. but you don't gotta worry about me and terezi so much. WE DON'T GET ALONG. she-" Gamzee cut himself off again, refraining from saying something mean about Terezi in front of Tavros. "some trolls just aint meant to be friends."

Tavros nodded. That was something about kismesiship that he agreed with Gamzee on. It was a natural part of a troll's life.

"tHAT'S WHAT I TOLD TEREZI," Tavros began, but he felt stupid after saying it. "i MEAN, kISMESISSHIP IS ONLY NATURAL," He added, again wishing that he had kept his mouth shut. Tavros bit his lip, trying to think of something to change the topic to. He felt it probably wasn't wise to keep talking about Terezi. But before he could come up with a new topic, he let out a long yawn.

Gamzee chuckled. "motherfuck, tavbro. I ALL UP AND FORGOT HOW I ALL CAME UP HERE IN THE MOTHERFUCKING MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. i didn't mean to be keepin you up like this. I CAN BACK OFF IF A MOTHERFUCKERS GOTTA GET HIS SLEEP ON."

Tavros panicked a little when Gamzee mentioned leaving. He was exhausted, but it wasn't an uncomfortable tiredness, and he wanted to keep talking to Gamzee. He had missed him even more than he thought. And there was a part of Tavros that worried that if he went to sleep he would wake up to find that the nights events had only been a dream.

"i'M, uH, fINE." He lied, beginning to truly feel the effects of the long day. "i WANT TO TALK TO YOU MORE, aND BESIDES, iF YOU WERE LURKING OUT THERE IN THE NIGHT, wHO KNOWS WHAT SORT OF OTHER, uM, hORRIFIYING MOSTERS COULD BE OUT THERE TOO,"

Gamzee laughed at Tavros' poor attempt at convincing him to stay. "doubt you'll come across a monster more horrifying than me, tavbro. GUESS I OUGHTA STAY TO SCARE ALL THE OTHER MONSTERS OFF." He said, flopping down on Tavros' floor.

Tavros smiled, happy that Gamzee was there. It was nice to have some company. But at this point he really was exhausted. He lay down next to Gamzee, smling at his friend before closing his eyes and drifting off into a sound sleep.


	4. Compliaction

The room was still and quiet, but there was a sense of midday hustle and bustle in the air. The light that shone down from skaia illuminated the small respite block, and the brightness indicated that it was rather later than the owner of the room usually slept.

Tavros groaned and rolled over, shielding his eyes from the assaulting light. After a moment he sat up and stretched, his body aching from spending the night sleeping on the floor. He stood up, stepping over Gamzee and grabbing a fresh change of clothes before leaving his respite block to get cleaned up and dressed. As he padded about the quiet hive he thought about his friendship with Gamzee.

It was certainly a relationship that wore him down a lot. Tavros always had to be careful about what he said about Terezi to Gamzee, and visa versa. Most of the time he tried not to mention either one in front of the other. But Terezi and Gamzee were the two most important trolls in Tavros' life. He wanted to keep both of them around. Tavros hadn't realized how much he had misses Gamzee during the two sweeps that they had gone without seeing each other until their reunion. And it was funny. It seemed like Gamzee had hardly changed with all that time.

After having gotten dressed and cleaned up, Tavros headed back to his respite block. He entered the room and found Gamzee was awake, sitting up with a sleepy, grumpy expression on his face. The look softened as he caught Tavros' eye.

"Fuck Tavbro, much as I love to get my snuggle on with a motherfucker, I don't think sleeping on the floor agrees with me so much." He grumbled, standing up and stretching his arms above his head.

Tavros laughed. "Yeah, me neither. You hungry?"

He made Gamzee breakfast, and they ate on Tavros' lawnring, enjoying the fresh air and soft morning light. Tavros was again filled with elation that he and Gamzee could be friends again. He really had missed him.

After who knows how long they spend there, dozing and goofing off, Gamzee rolled over on his side so he was facing Tavros. "tavbro, i been gettin some thoughts all up in my thinkpan about us. BOUT THIS MOTHERFUCKIN FRIENDSHIP MIRACLE WE GOT HERE"

Tavros frowned at Gamzee, unsure where he was going with this. "uH, yEAH? wHAT SORT OF THING HAVE YOU BEEN, uH, tHINKING ABOUT IT?" Suddenly Tavros was worried. What if Gamzee had changed his mind about wanting them to be friends? What if he really couldn't get past Tavros' moirailigence with Terezi?

Gamzee bit his lip, looking uncharacteristically anxious. "well, see, i aint the most popular toll out there. AND IT AINT LIKE I GOTTA BE ALL MOTHERFUCKIN BEST FRIENDS WITH EVERY TROLL I MEET, BUT I S'POSE A MOTHERUCKER GETS A LITTLE LONELY. i mean, specially since i aint moirails with karkat no more. AND HE AINT THE ONLY ONE THATS BEEN GETTIN' SICK OF ME EITHER."

"wELL, i STILL THINK YOU'RE REALLY NICE, aND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE FRIENDS," Tavros said, unsure where Gamzee was going with this.

"yeah, well see that's sorta the thing that i wanted to talk to you about that. I DON'T WANT TO DO NOTHING THAT WOULD MAKE MY MOTHERFUCKIN BEST BRO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ME."

Was his about Terezi? Had they gotten in another fight or something? Tavros couldn't think of what else Gamzee could do to make him uncomfortable about being friends with him.

"i'M SURE THAT THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN, gAMZEE," Tavros promised. Yes, it was tiring and stressful to be in the position he was in, but he had hope. Tavros hadn't seen Gamzee in a long time, and maybe he and Terezi had been apart long enough that they had both cooled down a little. But it had to be about her. What else could it be?

"well, i don't know. BUT I GUESS I'D BETTER JUST SAY IT AND SEE HOW YOU MOTHERFUCKING FEEL ABOUT IT. i've been gettin to realizing that i feel pretty red for you." Gamzee said, looking axious but pleased with himself for getting the confession out.

Tavros blushed a soft brown, unable to do anything but gawk at Gamzee.

"tavbro?" Gamzee asked, looking anxious. "LIKE I SAID, I DIDN'T WANT TO ALL UP AND MOTHERFUCKING UPSET YOU. i mean, i don't want this to mean the we can't be friends no more if you don't feel the same way. I DON'T WANT NONE OF THOSE FEELINGS TO COME BETWEEN OUR MOTHERFUCKING FRIENDSHIP. it's real important to me."

"i UHH, wELL, uMM, i JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY," Tavros finally squeaked out.

Gamzee shrugged. He looked a little disappointed, but otherwise fine. "you don't gotta say anything, tavbro. I DIDN'T MEAN TO MOTHERFUCKING PUT YOU ON THE SPOT LIKE THAT. like i said, i don't want this to come between our friendship."

Tavros closed his eyes a moment, not wanting to look at Gamzee. He didn't want to see his disappointment. He hated that he was letting Gamzee down, that he couldn't think of anything to say.

Gamzee reached towards Tavros, and his heart sped up again. Tavros felt his face grow warm. He felt Gamzee's slightly cool hand on his shoulder, guiding Tavros towards him. Tavros couldn't do anything except sit there dumbly, but after a moment, he turned his face up slightly and toward Gamzee's and closed his eyes.

_jUST LET IT HAPPEN,_ Tavros told himself. _iT MIGHT NOT BE SO BAD,__ yOU DON'T REALY KNOW WHAT YOUR FEELINGS TOWRDS HIM ARE, iT MIGHT BE NICE,_

So Tavros thought that he had mentally prepared himself for the kiss. He hadn't. Evenything took him of guard, from the slightly sweet taste of Gamzee's mouth to the feeling of his lips pressed against his own. He was surprised by how much he enjoyed the kiss. Like he had been needing it all this time, maybe for sweeps even, and he had only realized the need once it had been fulfilled.

Gamzee let go of Tavros and backed away, looking ashamed of himself but also pretty pleased. "sorry about that tavbro. GUESS I GOT A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY THERE."

Tavros shook his head, hoping to clear it. He thought that maybe the kiss would help him understand what his feeling for Gamzee were, but it just made him more confused. Because when Gamzee had kissed him, something had snapped into place in Tavros' head. He and Gamzee needed each other. Of course they were matesprites. But how could that be the case? He didn't understand his own feelings. Because as natural as it felt for him to love Gamzee, it was natural to feel just as strong of an affection, albiet one of a paler inclination, towards Terezi. And how could it be that the two people he loved the most could hold so much hate for one another?

After another minute or so, Gamzee stood up. Tavros looked up at the other troll, and his friend grinned down at him, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"well, it was good to kick it with you, tavbro, but i gotta be gettin back to my own hive. AND HEY, LIKE I SAID, I AINT OUT TO MAKE THINGS UNCOMFORTABLE BETWEEN US." Gamzee returned Tavros' smile, and it was equally false. Tavros just sat there dumbly, watching him walk away.


	5. Red (part one)

Tavros stood outside of his hive for a few minutes, staring off in the direction that Gamzee had disappeared in, then went back inside. He moved in a sort of daze, only half aware of his actions. He headed to his respite block, pulling blankets and cards and dice and other clutter off the floor and putting it away. Tavros had never been very neat, and he never cleaned his hive, but he needed something to keep with hands and mind busy. After everything was straightened and put away in his respite block he sat in the middle of the floor, wondering what to do next.

Usually when Tavros was upset or needing advice he would go see Terezi. But he didn't know what to do about his issues with Gamzee. Because he was Terezi's kismesis, it probably wasn't wise to ask her advice on such a sensitive subject. Not to mention, as much as Tavros believed that she cared for his welfare, Terezi was more than a little biased. He didn't feel like there was really anyone he could go to at this point. So he had to make up his mind for himself. Too bad making big decisions wasn't really Tavros' strong suit. He was used to letting himself get dragged along with whatever anyone else wanted him to do.

Tears started to flow from Tavros' eyes. _'iM SO WEAK, i NEVER KNOW WHAT TO DO,' _He thought miserably. He had to make some sort of decision. Gamzee wouldn't wait forever. And with time it would probably get easier to be so close to both him and Terezi, right? Besides, the quadrants were all a natural part of a troll's life. Resisting any of those feelings- weather they were red or black or pale- was silly. That was what he had told Terezi when she was having problems with Gamzee. So now all he had to do was take his own advice.

Tavros stood up. He had to go after Gamzee. He wouldn't mess things up this time. He hurried outside, looking up and down the deserted path. Of course by this time, Gamzee had already run off. Tears of frustration appeared in the corners of Tavros' eyes, but he simply wiped them away and started walking in the direction of Gamzee's hive. He didn't know for sure that Gamzee had gone home, but it was a place to start.

Though he didn't have time to talk to Terezi, Tavros decided to go past her hive- it was along the quickest route to Gamzee's and there wasn't really any point in going out of his way. He hurried in that direction, but mentally cursed himself when he saw a troll standing outside Terezi's hive, facing the door.

Gamzee stood about a foot from Terezi's door, facing away from Tavros. There was no sign of Terezi anywhere. Tavros only hoped that he could get Gamzee out of here before she showed up.

"you win." Gamzee said quietly as Tavros approached.

"uH, wHAT," Tavros asked, puzzled. He won? Won what? Gamzee wasn't making sense. And of all times for him to be talking nonsense!

Gamzee turned slowly, looking surprised, but after a moment he composed his features into a calm smile. "sorry tavbro. I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE TEREZI. don't worry about it motherfucker."

Tavros frowned at Gamzee, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "wHY WERE YOU GOING TO SEE TEREZI," He asked anxiously.

"to tell here that she won. THAT I'M GONNA LEAVE BOTH OF YOU ALONE NOW." Gamzee answered sadly, avoiding Tavros' gaze.

Tears welled up in Tavros' eyes. Gamzee leave? He was going to leave? He was giving up on Tavros? If only he had realized his own feelings sooner... Or would that have helped at all?

"fINE, bUT PLEASE TELL ME, iF YOU'RE LEAVING, dOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU HATE HER MORE THAN YOU LOVE ME," He asked, unable to help himself. Of course that was why. Gamzee was giving up on him. Tavros' heart ached with the revalation, but a small piece of him couldn't help but hope that Gamzee's answer would disprove his fears.

Gamzee stared at Tavros. "why should that matter. YOU CARE FOR HER MORE THAN YOU CARE FOR ME." He accused.

Tavros closed his eyes as the tears he had been trying to hold back finally spilled over. "tHATS NOT TRUE," He cried in a hoarse voice. "i LOVE YOU BOTH, wHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT, i ONLY STAYED AWAY FROM YOU TO KEEP YOU GUYS FROM GETTING HURT,"

He kept his eyes closed, and heard nothing but the sound of his own breathing. Tears continued to fall. Was Gamzee going to leave again? He hadn't answered Tavros' question, after all. Tavros wondered if maybe he had been right; that Gamzee would put his kismesiship with Terezi over his feelings for Tavros. That he couldn't get over her being his moirail.

"i tried to find you, tavbro. I DIDN'T WANT TO INVADE BY GOING TO YOUR HIVE, BUT I TRIED TO CONTACT YOU SO MANY TIMES. and even after two sweeps, i couldn't reach you. HOW CAN YOU DO THAT TO A MOTHERFUCKER AND STILL CLAIM TO LOVE HIM?" Gamzee yelled, frustration finally molding his face into a mask of desperation, fury and pain.

"i DIDN'T WANT YOU GUYS TO GET HURT," Tavros repeated, his own pathetic reasoning making him sick. There was no way to justify avoiding Gamzee for so long. Really he had just been afraid. A coward as usual. There were some things that just never changed.

"well look how that turned out." Gamzee spat. Tavros felt sick. This angry, defensive, accusatory creature wasn't Gamzee. Not that Gamzee that Tavros knew and loved. He had been twisted into something else: a cold bitter creature. And Tavros had done this to him. He had robbed the one he loved of so much trustingness and joy...

"i'M SORRY, i WAS JUST TRYING TO DO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FOR THE BEST," Tavros murmured. He wasn't crying now. His eyes felt raw and his throat was a little sore. He didn't have any tears left.

Gamzee's expression softened, but his eyes were still guarded.

"i'VE BEEN TREATING THESE RECENTLY ENENTS LIKE A CALAMITY,  
wHICH I GUES WASN'T REALLY THAT CHILL OF ME,"

Tavros began timidly. Gamzee just looked at him, wearing a completely baffled expression, but as Tavros continued to speak he smiled.

"bECAUSE I COULDN'T REACT WHEN A BROTHER WAS RED FOR ME,  
aND MORE IMPORTANLY,  
i COULDN'T RESPOND APROPRIATELY  
wHICH CAUSED SOME DESPONDENCY  
sO I GUESS NOW I OWE AN APOLOGY."

After he had finished the short verse he glanced anxiously at Gamzee, but it was barely a second before the other troll responded.

"I COMMITED SOME ACTS FOR WHICH I MUST ALSO APOLOGIZE  
it was never my intent to put tears in your eyes  
I HOPE WE CAN BE ALL MOTHERFUCKING CHILL NOW  
tavbro i'm needing you to know how  
I DON'T EVER MEAN TO UPSET YOU  
that treatment of my matsprite just won't do."

Tavros giggled and pulled Gamzee close, kissing him softly. Gamzee kiss him back for a moment, then pulled away, but grabbed one of Tavros' hand and headed in direction of his own hive. Tavros followed, happy that everything was okay with Gamzee now. That it was much better than okay.

Tavros had only been inside Gamzee's hive once before, and as he entered the small, cluttered respite block, he saw that it hadn't really changed since the last time he had been there. He thought that maybe some of the posters were different, but the floor was still littered with horns, clubs, and a few bottles of fago. Like Tavros, Gamzee wasn't concerned with keeping things tidy.

Gamzee left the room for a moment, and came back with an armful of blankets, which he dropped on the floor in a heap before sitting on the pile he had just created and pulling one of the blankets around his shoulders. He lay down and motioned for Tavros to join him. Tavros lowered himself onto the floor, ducking under Gamzee's arm and the blanket he was wearing. Gamzee smiled and pulled Tavros' face close to his, and in another moment Tavros had lost himself in Gamzee's kiss.


	6. Red (part two)

Author's note: This chapter has smut (tentabulges and nooks; troll sex) Basically if that makes you uncomfortable skip it, though the second part of the chapter is sort of relevant to the plot :/ (I tried to mark the second part pretty clearly if you just want to skip to that part)

After the long, soft kiss, Gamzee pulled away from Tavros for a moment. Tavros whimpered a little, already missing the warmth of his matesprite's body. Gamzee sat on his haunches, looking quizzically at Tavros.

"you okay tavbro?" He asked after a moment.

Tavros smiled. "oF COURSE," He said, wondering why Gamzee was asking. Why wouldn't he be? This was the happiest Tavros had been in a while.

Gamzee didn't respond, just smiled sweetly and brought his lips back to Tavros'. This kiss wasn't nearly as gentle as the last one had been, but that suited Tavros just fine. His hands tangled in Gamzee's hair as the other trolls hands found the small of his back, and he was pulled onto Gamzee's lap.

Tavros' heard raced even faster and he locked his arms around Gamzee's neck. Gamzee's grip on his wait tightened, pulling him in closer. He felt his matesrite's hand slide up his shirt, and he shuddered at the feeling of the slightly cool fingers moving across his skin. Gamzee lifted the shirt up until he reached Tavros' horns, then pulled away, looking at Tavros for help.

Tavros chuckled, gently pulling the fabric out of Gamzee's hands and stretching the shirt first over one horn, then over the other. Gamzee's hands made their way back to his waist, but Tavros pushed them away so that he could remove Gamzee's shirt as well.

"a little impatient, are we? SLOW DOWN MOTHERFUCKER, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GOING ANYWHERE." Gamzee chuckled, but he allowed Tavros to remove the garment.

Tavros, nodded, feeling his face grow even more flushed than it already was due to his accelerated heartrate. He didn't know what to say, so he kissed Gamzee again, hoping to hide his embarrassment. Gamzee kissed him back, starting to match the lowblood's enthusiasm. He pushed gently pushed Tavros down so that he was laying on the floor and Gamzee was on top of him. Tavros moaned softly as he felt Gamzee's bluge press up against his own.

Gamzee leaned in closer to Tavros, running his hands down his bare chest. Tavros' shuddered against the cool touch and the feeling of the rough-palmed hands against his own skin. Gamzee leaned in and kissed him again and Tavros whimpered as he felt the pressure of a hand against his tentabulge, which was beginning to come unsheathed. He moved his hands down to removed Gamzee's pants, and in doing so saw that Gamzee's own tentabulge was already completely unsheathed.

"n-nOW WHOSE THE IMPATIENT ONE?" Tavros teased, partially to hide his own nervousness. For a brief moment, Tavros wondered if Gamzee had ever done this before. Tavros didn't have any experience with pailing, but his matesprite seemed to know what he was doing. Not that it really mattered to him.

Gamzee ignored Tavros' playful chiding, and brought his down to Tavors' now unsheathed bulge. He stroked it gently before moving his hand to rub gently against the slit of Tavros' nook. Tavros moaned softly at Gamzee's touch; it felt better than he could have imagined it would be. He head Gamzee chuckle; of course he would be able to feel how wet Tavros had gotten. Gamzee adjusted himself a little, grabbing Tavros's thighs and positioning himself over his slit. Tavros bit down on his lip softly in anticipation.

He cried out softly as Gamzee entered him. It felt like nothing he could have ever imagined. At first it was a little painful as he felt himself stretching around Gamzee's tentabluge, but soon the pain was replace by a good pressure. As it had been the first time he and Gamzee had kissed, Tavros felt as if a need he had not quite realized he had was being satisfied. Gamzee's thrust began to gradually increase in speed and both trolls cried out. Gamzee took hold of Tavros' neglected bulge and began stroking it in time with his thrusts, and Tavros' back arched as he moaned deeply.

"fuck tavbro, i'm- I'M-!" Gamzee cried out as Tavros felt his genetic material being released. Tavros cried out as well as him own brown genetic material was released a moment later.

Gamzee slid off Tavros, wiping away what he could of the genetic material that now stained both trolls' skin. Of course, being seeing as they were both dead, there was no need for a bucket. Tavros laughed, pulling Gamzee closed so that his matesprite's head was resting against his chest.

"i LOVE YOU GAMZEE," Tavros whispered, taking his hand.

"love you too." Gamzee mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

X

Author's note (again): This was one of my first times writing smut, not to mention my first time writing smut for trolls. This was a pretty terrible first attempt, so how about we just try and forget that this ever happened! Anyways this is the second half of the chapter if you decided to skip that first part.

X

Tavros awoke to the soft sound of Gamzee's breathing and the comfort of his embrace. He sighed, shifting reluctantly out of Gamzee's arms. Suddenly his respite block felt insufferably hot and stuffy. The heat crawled uncomfortably accross his skin, making him feel sticky and unclean. He got up, grabbing a pair of pants in the dark and pulling them on, not bothering to search for his own when he discovered that they were Gamzee's, despite the fact that they didn't fit him too well.

He crept down the hall and outside, glad of the feel of the cool night breeze on his skin. The skaia was still almost completely black, but there was a small sliver of light just above the horizon. The wind whipped all around him, carrying a soft howling with it. Tavros stood on Gamzee's own doorstep, just staring out at the landscape in front of him. The land that surrounded his hive was pretty desolate, save for a few hives dotted here and there in the distance, but Tavros didn't mind. All that really meant was that on clear nights like this you could see forever.

Looking out at the ocean and feeling the sand between his toes, his thoughts drifted to the desert not far from his own hive. How he had traveled that desert once. With Vriska. He hadn't made it to the other side in the end, but he had gotten pretty close. Because she had pushed him. Tavros hated her for a lot of things, but he couldn't deny that she had helped him get strong. Just like she had once promised him she would.

He walked away from his hive in the direction of the wastleland, not completely restringing his own actions. Tavros kept moving until the hives were just specks in the distance and skaia was almost completely light. He wasn't usually one who cared to be alone with his thoughts, but in this case it had helped him in some way he couldn't put his finger on. It was something else he had been needing.

But after a while Tavros realized he should probably turn back. It was getting lighter and lighter out, and Gamzee would probably be waking up soon. Tavros didn't want him to worry about his wandering off. He headed back toward his hive at a brisk pace.

Despite his hurrying, Tavros had ended up wandering for a couple hours, and it took him nearly as long to get back to Gamzee's hive. He walked in to the front room and saw Gamzee standing there, looking distraught.

"iS SOMETHING WRONG," Tavros asked. Gamzee smiled at Tavros, though he looked at little annoyed, and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"you have me all motherfucking scared, tavbro. FUCKING ALL UP AND MOTHER FUCKING DISAPPEARING LIKE THAT." He mumbled into Tavros' hair.

"sORRY," Tavros apologized taking a step back and looking down, biting his lip. He felt almost traitorous saying the words, because he was really only apologizing for worrying Gamzee, and not for leaving.

Gamzee reached his hand out and tousled Tavros' mohawk, his head tilted in an attempt to catch Tavros' gaze. Tavros continued to avoid his eyes, struggling to get Vriska out of his head. When he finally did look up, he met Gamzee's gaze with a shaky smile.

"i'M TIRED," Tavros said after a moment. "i WANT TO GO BACK TO SLEEP" He insisted, grabbing Gamzee's arm and pulling him inside.

"okay tav." Gamzee said with a smile. He didn't seem to notice that anything was wrong, which came as a relief to Tavros. He didn't want to end up worrying Gamzee again.

THE END of part II


	7. Trepidation

Part III

Tavros opened his eyes, taking a moment in stare blankly at the ceiling. After a moment he felt movement beside him and propped himself up on one elbow so that his cumbersome horns wouldn't prevent him from rolling over. He instantly regretted it. Tavros met Gamzee's anxious gaze and groaned internally, wishing that he could still pretend to be asleep. He closed his eyes, wishing he was still asleep.

"morinin' tav!" Gamzee cooed, planting a kiss on his cheek, cheerful as usual.

Tavros heaved a heavy sigh. He was not ready for this day.

"g' mORING," Tavros mumbled, hoping the grumpiness that had slipped into his tone would pass for grogginess. He sat up and shoook his head, taking a minute to get get bearings.

Gamzee was sitting on his haunches on the piles of blankets on the floor that served as a makeshift bed on the nights that he and Tavros spend together.

"hey, so i thought maybe we could kick it today. GO HAVE AMOTHERFUCKIN PICNIK OR SOMETHING." He suggested cheerfully.

Gamzee had suggested pretty much the exact same thing every morning for the past three weeks. Most of the time Tavros was happy to accept, though occasionally he would decline to hang out with Terezi, or Nepeta, who he had become much closer with since both of their deaths. He was never alone with his thoughts for long, which was what he wanted. Tavros' (after)life had fallen into a pleasant routine that he didn't dream of breaking any time soon.

As nice as it was, Tavros was beginning to find the arrangement a little tiring. He knew that both Gamzee and Terezi were dancing around the subject of one another whenever he spent time with one of them. Tavros doubted that things could remain so peaceful and easy for the three of them for long.

"sURE," Tavros happliy agreed. "gIVE ME A WHILE TO GET READY THOUGH," He insisted, wanting to be alone for a moment at least.

"no prob." Gamzee agreed. "GOTTA GO BACK TO MY HIVE AND GET US SOME FOOD ANYHOW. i'll come back here in a couple hours?"

"tWO HOURS," Tavros clarified, not wanting to take too much time. Gamzee noded and pulled him in for a quick kiss. He waved goodbye as Gamzee sauntered off and headed back inside, breathing a guilty sigh of relief at finally being alone. Despite how happy he was to have such amazing companions, sometimes it was a little suffocating.

Tavros headed back to his respite block, ready to go back to sleep. Of course sleep didn't have the same purpose or significance for the dead, but they were still able to sleep, and Tavros usually slept a lot anyways, especially when he was lonely or upset or sad or bored. Tavros had been sleeping a lot lately, unable to get rid of the unpleasant worry and restlessness that plagued him. The stress of knowing that his peaceful life stood on very thin ice. Relations between Gamzee and Terezi were uncomfortable at best, despite how they all tried to manage their relationships and keep the peace. At this point Tavros was just waiting for it to all come crashing down around him.

Tavros awoke to the sound of raised voices. '_uGH, I KNEW IT,'_ He though dejectedly. He got up and headed out to the main room of his hive, where Gamzee and Terezi stood a few feet apart, both with their arms folded, glaring and one another. Whatever they had been arguing about, they both fell into a sudden silence when Tavros entered the room.

"hEY TEREZI, hEY GAMZEE," He said uncomfortably, glancing back and forth from one troll to the other.

Terezi sauntered up to Tavros and held out her fist. He gave her a fist bump and smiled, ignoring Gamzee's obvious discomfort.

"H1 T4VROS!" Terezi said cheerfully. "YOU DO1NG 4NYTH1NG?" She asked, suddenlt smiling. She avoided Gamzee's gaze, and Tavros noted that the two had gone from glaring at each other to each acting like the other didn't exist. Well, that was at least slightly preferable.

"i already told you-" Gamzee began in an annoyed tone, clearly addressing Terezi though he still wasn't looking at her.. Tavros stepped in front of him and cut him off.

"yEAH, i ACTUALLY DO HAVE PLANS, sORRY," He said, smiling apologetically at Terezi. Tavros felt a little guilty turning her down, like he was blowing her off. He didn't want to be that guy who ditched all their friends for their boyfriend. But it wasn't like he and Terezi hadn't been spending plenty of time together lately.

Terezi shrugged. "OK4Y. L4T3R." She muttered and sauntered off. That had been much more painless than expected. At least she wasn't mad at him. Tavros always worried that he was disappointing others.

"sO WHAT WERE YOU AND TEREZI TALKING ABOUT," Tavros asked after she had left, partially out of curiosity as to weather it had to do with him, and partially out of concern for both Gamzee and Terezi. He hoped they hadn't gotten in some big fight again.

"not much. YOU." Gamzee said simply. Tavros tilted his head and waited for Gamzee to continue, but he didn't say anything more. After a moment he cleared his throat. Gamzee remained silent.

"mE," Tavros prompted anxiously, hoping he wasn't pushing too much. Gamzee sighed and shrugged.

"she just wanted to make sure you were doing okay." He grumbled. "I'M SURE SHE'LL ASK YOU ABOUT IT LATER."

"oKAY," Tavros sighed, trying and failing to relax. For some reason he couldn't put his finger on he wasn't quite satisfied with Gamzee's answer. "lET'S JUST GET GOING," He grabbed Gamzee's hand, heading off to the less populated plains not far from his hive.

He and Gamzee lay out a blanket and sat down. Tavros was glad of the fresh air, but he felt a little uncomfortable around Gamzee now, unable to shake the feeling that he was hiding something from him.

They chatted for a while, though Gamzee did most of the talking. Tavros tried to remain present, but for once he couldn't stay focused on whatever Gamzee was saying.

"gAMZEE, dO YOU THINK IT WILL EVER GET EASIER FOR THE THREE OF US," Tavros finally asked, unable to hold in the question that was plaguing his mind any longer.

Gamzee shrugged, avoiding Tavros' gaze. Tavros sighed, unsatisfied with his response, but he didn't feel confident that it was a good idea to press the subject. He and Gamzee walked on in silence- a silence that Tavros felt was a little awkward but that Gamzee seemed perfectly comfortable with- until they reached a nice, sunny spot.

They ate in silence, Tavros casting shy glances up at Gamzee every one and a while and feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze. Gamzee's gaze didn't waver from Tavros, and sometimes his smile when Tavros caught his gaze was a little delayed.

"gAMZEE," Tavros began slowly after a while.

"yeah tav?

Tavros shook his head. He hadn't really wanted to say anything. His mind should have been filled with joy, but unhappy thoughts were steadily trickling in. For the first time in a while he felt uncomfortable around Gamzee, when in the past he had been so easy to talk to and be around. The carefree comfort he had felt around him was receding and Tavros had no idea how to get it back.

"nOTHING, lET'S EAT," He muttered, reaching for the picknik basket. Gamzee shrugged and dug in as well.

After their meal Gamzee lay on his back looking up at skaia. Tavros waited a moment then tentatively followed suit, reaching out to take Gamzee's hand. Gamzee gave a happy sigh and rolled to the side, laying his head on Tavos' chest.

Tavros ran his hand absentmindedly through Gamzee's tangled mass of hair, glad that he didn't seem to be in a talkative mood today. Tavros wished that they could talk normally, though. But he was in too much of a funk to trust himself with that. He didn't want to go asking more stupid questions about Terezi, and was silently cursing himself for allowing those worries to drift into his mind and ruin his euphoria.

"mAYBE, uH, wE SHOULD JUST GO HOME NOW," Tavros muttered at length. He didn't really know what else to do. Though he worried that things would be no less awkward back at his of Gamzee's hive.

"i think this is nice. CAN'T WE STAY OUT HERE A LITTLE LONGER?" Gamzee pleaded. Tavros didn't see why Gamzee was enjoying this so much, but Tavros didn't see any harm in indulging him. He would probably feel uncomfortable and worried wherever they were.

"oF COURSE WE CAN, iT JUST SEEMED LIKE WE WEREN'T REALLY DOING ANYTHING," Tavros murmured, "nOT THAT I'M NOT HAPPY JUST TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU,"

"oh, well i didn't realize you were bored." Gamzee responded in a teasing tone, rolling over so that he was on top of Tavros. "I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING MORE TO TRY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTHERFUCKER." He added as he began to kiss along Tavros' throat.

Tavros sighed, relaxing into the now-familiar feeling of Gamzee's lips moving across his skin. But after a moment he pushed his matesprite away.

"iT'S FINE, i'M NOT BORED," He said, feeling guilty when Gamzee looked wounded. Tavros hadn't meant for him to feel rejected. "jUST TIRED, iS IT OKAY IF WE TAKE A NAP," He asked.

"sure thing, motherfucker." Gamze agreed, resuming his previous position with his head against Tavros' chest. As he did so Tavros realized that his heart was racing, and did his best to take deep breaths and calm down. "MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST GO SEE TEREZI."

Tavros froze, shocked at Gamzee's suggestion. He wouldn't mind seeing her in most cases, though at the moment he felt as if he left Gamzee something would break between them, but he was under the impression that Gamzee only grudgingly tolerated his moiraligence with Terezi. Maybe this was a good thing, though. Maybe this was a step in the right direction? As unlikely as that seemed, Tavros hoped that was the case.

"lATER," He agreed. Maybe Gamzee just wanted some alone time. Though Tavros was freaking out a little bit right now, he knew he should respect that and give Gamzee his space. After all, he would do the same thing, right? "lET'S JUST REST NOW, oKAY,"

"of course, tavbo." Gamzee murmured. Agreeing with whatever Tavros wanted. Putting him first. Tavros felt a little sick with himself. He had blown off Terezi and then brought her up to Gamzee for no reason, and now he was worrying Gamzee again even though he promised himself that wouldn't happen again after he ran off that morning a few weeks ago.

Tavros stifled a yawn, nestling in a little closer to Gamzee.

"you've been sleeping a lot lately. YOU DON'T THINK YOU'RE GETTING SICK OR SOMETHING, DO YOU?" Gamzee asked. That was uncharacteristically observant of him. Or maybe Tavros was acting that strangely. He hoped that wasn't the case.

"i DON'T THINK WE EVEN CAN GET SICK ANYMORE," Tavros said. "i'M SURE IT'S NOTHING,"

Gamzee didn't say anything else, and eventually Tavros did fall asleep. When he woke up skaia was nearly dark and Gamzee was fast asleep. Tavros got up and grabbed a piece of paper and something to write with as scribbled a quick note: _zEE, i'M GOING TO SEE TEREZI, yOU CAN STAY HERE TONIGHT IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT, i'LL BE BACK TOMORROW," _

He left the note where Gamzee would find it and headed off in the direction of Terezi's hive, not in any hurry to get there.


End file.
